Quinton playschool

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

The provision is good

Children make good progress at this friendly and welcoming playschool.

They are excited to come into the setting and play with their friends. Children become deeply engaged in their play. They confidently explore the different toys and resources and thoroughly enjoy taking part in adult-led activities.

Children form strong attachments to staff and their key person, which helps children to feel emotionally secure. They display positive behaviours and treat others with kindness and respect.Children develop independence with their self-care and learn good hygiene practices.

Lunchtime is a social occasion where ch...ildren sit and engage in conversation with their friends and staff. Children have daily opportunities to practise their physical skills, both indoors and outdoors. They have lots of fun taking part in running games and ride on wheeled toys with coordination and balance.

Children learn to keep themselves safe. For example, they recognise that they are unable to use the outdoor climbing apparatus because it is 'icy' and will be 'slippy'.Children take part in outings in the community.

For example, they visit the local shops and post office where they post their letters to Santa. Children learn about seasonal changes in the environment and appropriate clothing when playing outside during the winter months. Children learn about similarities and differences between themselves and others, through activities, books and discussions.

They look at different cultures and celebrations, such as Diwali. This helps children to develop an understanding of the diverse world in which they live.

What does the early years setting do well and what does it need to do better?

The management team and staff work well together and are clear about what they want children to learn.

They have created a broad and interesting curriculum based on different topics and what children need to learn next. The management team is aware of the impact COVID-19 has had on children's speech and language development and has put effective strategies into place to help close any gaps in their learning.The management team and staff hold regular discussions together.

They reflect on the effectiveness of the teaching and learning and where their strengths and weaknesses lie. However, managers do not use staff supervisions effectively to support staff in their professional development and set specific, measurable targets, to help raise the quality of practice to an even higher level.Overall, partnerships with parents are strong.

Managers and staff communicate with parents at drop-off and collection times and parents speak very highly of the managers and staff. However, managers have not identified where parent partnerships can be further extended, to keep parents regularly informed on their children's next steps and to fully support children's learning at home.Children have lots of fun helping to make dough.

They use their fingers to make marks in the flour, developing their fine motor skills. Children demonstrate their understanding of mathematical concepts, such as counting, volume and capacity, as they empty and fill containers with flour. They use rolling pins with control and cut out star shapes.

All children enjoy listening to stories and books as part of the daily routine. Managers and staff read stories with enthusiasm and are skilled at capturing children's interest and imagination. They encourage children to participate in a popular story about a bear and make predictions on what might happen next, which helps to promote children's thinking skills.

Older children use complex words, such as 'enormous', as they describe the size of the bears cave from the story. Children receive plenty of praise and encouragement, which helps to promote their confidence and self-esteem.Managers and staff support children in their communication and language skills.

They provide children with the time to think and respond to questions, introduce new words and offer the correct pronunciation. Furthermore, children learn about letter sounds in their name.Children engage in group activities, such as circle time, and practise singing traditional Christmas songs for the upcoming nativity play.

They have lots of fun as they dress up as nativity characters and tell the inspector that they are 'angels' and 'kings'. They confidently recall previous learning as they talk about the significant events in the nativity story.The management team has established close links with the teachers from the adjoining school site.

They work collaboratively together to inform and share good practice so that children are ready for the next stage in their education.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.The managers and staff have a good understanding of the potential signs that may indicate a child is at risk of harm.

They know who to contact to seek advice and how to raise and follow up any concerns. Managers and staff are confident about the process to follow if they have any concerns about the conduct of a colleague. The playschool has a robust safer recruitment process in place to ensure all staff are suitably vetted.

Managers and staff are vigilant and supervise children well. They carry out regular checks of the environment, inside and outside, to ensure that hazards and risks are minimised.

What does the setting need to do to improve?

To further improve the quality of the early years provision, the provider should: strengthen the structure for staff supervisions to identify professional development opportunities and clear targets to help raise the quality of the already good practice nenhance the already good partnerships with parents, so that all parents have information about their child's next steps and how they can further support their learning at home.

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